The number one question that I am asked, and strangely enough the number one internet search that leads to my website, is “How do I get my cake published in a magazine?” I will do my best to answer that for you, but first, let me ask you this. Why do you want your work published in a magazine? Stop for a second and really give that some thought because your answers to my question will determine my answers to your question.

So… why do you want to be published? What is the goal? What do you think will happen for you and your business? Is it fame, fortune and the adulation of the masses- because that will not happen. Do you think you are one of the best and want everyone else to know that too- you may or may not be and they may or may not notice. Do you have a solid product, style or brand and want to expand your client base- yes! You can do this! Do you want to “level up” your skills- you can do this, too! Do you want the feather in your cap and on your resume for clients to see- Yes to this as well! Here are the things that do not happen when you are published in a magazine. You do not become famous, you do not get paid, you do not exponentially increase the number of cake orders flowing in to your business. Here is what you do get. You get to work hard, dream big, feel acknowledged, gather some exposure, build client trust that you can deliver their dream cake, and have another notch on your belt/resume. My point is to be realistic in your expectations. In retrospect I was so naive that I expected tremendous outward change in my circumstances and when that did not happen I experienced some let down. I did, however, grow as a person, an artist and in confidence. It feels really nice, always. Now that we have our expectations grounded and know we need to do the work let’s move on to answering some other questions.

How? How do you actually get published? For me it happened as a fluke. The first time I happened to comment on a facebook post which asked a question about what sorts of things people liked to make for dessert in the summer. After I commented I received a PM asking if I would be interested in submitting those recipes for possible inclusion in the magazine. Of course I would! I ended up having a lovely little article and photo published, along with my recipe, in Taste of the South Magazine. This was before I began decorating cakes. I was over the moon doing the interview and ecstatic when they sent me copies of the magazine. The article is framed and hangs in my bedroom and is one of my cherished objects to this day. As soon as I began decorating cakes I posted my awful cell phone photos of my awful newbie cakes everywhere. Every. Where. I was SO excited by this new passion and even though I knew my cakes were zilch zero nada in comparison to anyone else I still spread my little cell phone pics happily all over the cake world like a little ugly plague. Less than a year after beginning in decorating I received another email. Would I like to make a cake to possibly be featured in their magazine? You can read more about that cake HERE. Less than a year in and I had a magazine cover. Unreal. This brings us to the second part of the question of how. I told you these two stories for a reason. What they have in common is that I was noticed. How? By being present. By interacting. That was step 1. My name was seen before my recipes or my work. Now you can just look up magazines and find online the contact info or submission info and send your work in but I did not know that. Besides it does kind of feel better to be noticed and asked although I have done it both ways. At this stage of my life if I admire a magazine or blog and wish to be part of it and they set out a call for photos I am fine taking that first step myself. I admire their name and want my name tied to theirs. It is as simple as that. Make yourself present. Get your work out there. Share it, show it, own it, be proud of it. It is as easy as that, right? Wait…..
NO it is NOT. Did I mention I was sharing crappy cell phone photos of work that was full of flaws? Here is what my two stories also have in common. I did not take the photos. Now we have another question to answer.

What? What do magazines want? Pick up any reputable magazine and look inside. Go to any reputable blog and browse through. They are full of gorgeous things presented in gorgeous ways. Publication should represent the best of a topic of interest. Be it interior design, cake, cars, cooking etc. Inside the pages should be “the ideal”. Magazines require very specific photographic parameters in order to even be considered for inclusion. Your cell phone is not going to cut it. (Although I could tell you some funny stories about times when it actually did for me- but that is not the rule). Photography is an entirely different realm of expertise. You may luck out and get published with less than stellar photos (or not luck out if you happen to be embarrassed when you see your work represented as anything short of amazing) but chances are it will not happen without the double whammy of an appealing product and a superior image of that product. The photo can make or break your chances. What do you do? You have options. I have traded services for photography. I have been given quotes for what I could pay for photography. Some folks are lucky to be friendly with a photographer where the arrangement is pro bono with both parties aiming for publication being the payment. If you are like me and sometimes have limited resources as far as time goes to get out and network, make friends etc you can take the more difficult but ultimately very rewarding road of learning photography. I love it when my favorite photographers snap images of my cakes. Love it. They are far more talented at what they do for a living than I am at what they do for a living. That is my ideal way to work but it just cannot happen most of the time and I could not afford to pay them what they are worth every time I needed a cake photograph- which is pretty much weekly. For me it is more practical to learn to meet my own needs. It helps that I actually love taking photos and always have. Decide which of these ways works best for you. Favors, hiring, bribing with cupcakes, or “learning to fish” on your own. Remember- magazines only rarely (never in my case) pay you so cost is all out of your pocket. Look at the magazines that you want to one day be part of. What is the style? What do the covers look like usually? What about inside? You can usually tell what a magazine prefers by looking through a few issues. The very basics are well lit, very clear, balanced, plenty of room around the cake- and I do not mean your dirty kitchen with dishes piled in the background. (Remember if you get chosen to be on the cover they need to add words all over the page so they need space). Neutral backgrounds. (Which I personally wish was not the case because that is not my taste). No crazy patterns back there. Best to keep it clean and simple. The best source for backdrops for photography- the ones I prefer- are HERE. Clean, simple, well lit, clear and flawless will be the majority rule in getting published. If you decide to learn photography I suggest a few things. Search out local photographers. The ones where their images grab you. The images you are most drawn to. Some photographers will offer classes and I strongly suggest that if you can swing it that you take a basic class. How to set your camera’s manual settings, composition etc. There are also online tutorials on this subject like the great one found here on karascouturecakes. Invest in a good camera. My favorite camera is the SONY Alpha NEX 7. There are many cameras in all price ranges so do your research before making that commitment. Lastly, find a reliable editing software. There are many free apps out there. I do not use those. If you find one that you like be sure it can export photos at 300 dpi/ppi or above. Personally I only use Lightroom. Most pros use Lightroom and Photoshop but Photoshop is too complicated for my needs. If you have the funds to invest in only one editing software I strongly recommend Lightroom. Learning to photograph your own cakes can seem daunting but the reward is well worth it giving you complete artistic control over the presentation of your work, flexibility in scheduling your mini “photo shoots”, and building your portfolio into the best it can be. It is the next best thing to finding a professional photographer that you admire, trust and respect.

There is no simple answer to your question of “How do I get my cake published in a magazine”. It involves first thinking about and answering several other questions. As with anything worth doing it tends to take time, effort and perseverance even above your talent as a cake artist. If you are not included the first time do not give up. Believe in yourself and your skills. Be true to your artistic vision. Represent yourself as a professional, with kindness, flexibility and a balance of confidence and humility. Get yourself out in the cake community and share, interact, build positive relationships! Publication will not likely rocket you to fame and fortune but the rewards can be deeply personal and enriching. You will make new friends along the way, improve your skills, learn new things, accomplish goals and have a few extra doors open to your dreams. After all, this is what life is all about! Focus on the goals but never forget to stop and cherish how you get there!

You may create the most gorgeous cakes in the world but a critical step in marketing your product is in how they are presented to your clients. They say we eat with our eyes first and it is no different when a client is shopping for a cake. Photography that highlights your skills is crucial! You do not need a fancy camera and lighting set up (although that certainly helps) however the staging of your cakes can make all the difference in the world to a client who is browsing your portfolio and comparing your work to those in your area. I admit to using the old white foam core board backdrop for a very long time. Many of us do it. Wouldn’t it be great to stage our work in a beautiful setting? We cannot always carry cakes outside or to the beach or to a lovely garden. The next best thing is to bring the scenery indoors in an easy to use way! Brenda of Sugar High Inc has launched an amazing line of photography backdrops that let you do just that! I cannot stress enough the difference they make to your cake staging! The “bakedrops” are multiple sizes, vinyl and easy to clean, do not wrinkle unless you seriously abuse them, and she has so many gorgeous scenes you will want them all! What I like best is that Brenda offers such a vast variety and I can get longer backdrops to easily stage large wedding cakes. My photos turn out clean and professional and my cakes look their very best so that my clients can see exactly what I can do! Take a look at her shop and try one out for yourself and I promise you it will make a world of difference to your portfolio. It’s time to take your cakes to the next level!

TieredCaker 2 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch is being released March 16! I have been test driving the app for the past week and it is awesome! You can enter the number of servings you need and the app shows you all of the options available for tier shapes and sizes. There is also a 3D stacking module where you can play around with the sizing including tier height- you can even add color! This gives you and your clients an immediate visual for the basics of how your cake will be constructed. With favorites and recents plus great user presets you can populate your price per serving along with other elements and have an instant quote prepared. There are also cutting guides and serving charts that you can send to your clients! If you already have TieredCaker 1 the new version is a free upgrade. If you have never purchased the app the cost will be $19.99 which is well worth it to have a comprehensive tool which makes designing and quoting fast and easy!

It takes years to collect the perfect set of recipes. Hours in the kitchen triumphant or failing. Trying again and again, tweaking and adapting over time, experimenting and changing. When you are dedicated to baking the very best you are constantly evolving and experimenting until you hit that sweet spot. The perfect recipe takes skill but it also takes fine ingredients. Each bite is the sum of its parts and will never be as amazing as it could be if the ingredients you use are not living up to that ideal taste, scent, texture.

Couverture Chocolate– It has taken me a lot of experimentation with different companies, recipes and ingredients to reach the place where I feel comfortable and confident that what I bake contains the best balance of quality and affordability for my taste and for the value of my clients. I first tried Pastry Portal almost a year ago as I experimented with couverture chocolate. Apparently I am very picky about chocolate and need it to taste and feel a particular way before I am happy with it. Price is also important because like anyone I want the very best for my investment and want to minimalize the impact financially to my clients. Pastry Portal more than delivers that! I have used both the Casa Luker 58% Misterio dark chocolate and the IFI Gourmet 50% Belgian Dark. The Casa Luker is intensely rich, very slightly bittersweet, and makes a great looking ganache. My husband aka Primo Chocolate Afficianado loved that one but for me I was missing a certain cold mouth feel that I find hard to describe. I tried the IFI Gourmet 50% Belgian Dark and new right then that this was my chocolate. A little more sweet than the Casa Luker but not too sweet and it has the silky mouth feel I was missing. That has been my go to dark chocolate ever since. The IFI Gourmet 29% Belgian White are perfect. Smooth, buttery, silky and I never have an issue with my ganache. Ever. That is saying something because we all know white chocolate ganache can be finicky. These chocolates can be purchased in 22 pound sizes which is around the same price as I was previously paying for 11 pounds of similar chocolates from different companies. To me that is a no brainer. Great quality and more affordable means I am free to give a little extra to my clients than what they expect and that is a wonderful thing.

Flavor Pastes- There are some flavors that are tricky to nail down without crossing the border into the land of the artificial taste. It can be hard to have a strong bright flavor in batters like strawberry, lemon, lime and more. Pastry Portal makes these awesome flavor pastes which act as a supercharged boost to your batter and icings so if your recipe just needs a punch of taste I recommend you try these. I have the strawberry, lime, lemon, caramel, crème de cacao, and Moroni vanilla and yes I will admit I would like to have them all. Honestly I was skeptical because I use a lot of homemade purees and such to flavor my cakes and was not sure the pastes would add anything. Until I gave them the true test. I did some experimenting and for the first time ever made dairy free gluten free Paleo cupcakes. Making them by the recipes I was testing made my mouth curl and my kids spit the cupcakes in the trash and ran away screaming. True story. I kept at it though. I tweaked the recipes, added some liquid, removed the coconut oil which I discovered my entire family thinks tastes bitter. (It does!) I made one vanilla batter and divided it into several bowls. One bowl had lime flavor paste added, one strawberry, one had crème de cacao plus cocoa powder, and one had the Moroni Vanilla paste added. Not kidding you my boys sampled this batch, started jumping up and down with thumbs up… then they started fighting each other nearly violently over who got which Paleo cupcake. My beautiful client loved them too and said they are the best Paleo cupcakes she has ever had. Take that skepticism! If I can make people squeal with Paleo cupcakes because I used these pastes then imagine what you can do!

Rolled Fondant- Fondant is a tricky beast for me here in the tropical rainforest that is the state of Florida. It has to be just right or it is a hot sticky mess and can make a girl cry. I am very very very picky about my fondant. Many commercial and even more homemade types have all been tried and discarded by me. Once again I was skeptical to try the IFI Gourmet rolled fondant because really not many perform well in Florida but once again I was so pleased with the outcome. First of all the fondant was firm. Which is great! It almost hurt my arms to knead it and I was ecstatic about that! Most fondant I have tried is so soft its mushy and quickly goes from mush to unusable if you don’t work fast. I could tell right out of the gate that the IFI Gourmet fondant was going to be a winner. I even covered square tiers with it. No tears, rips, pitting, elephant skin no nothing but ease. It tastes great too! This is a product I will definitely be using again once I run out of “that other brand”.

Pastry Portal has quickly become my go to supplier for all my baking needs. The product range is expansive and will take your imagination to new heights in the kitchen. Pricing is exceptionally affordable. The customer service is the best I have ever had with any of my suppliers. These are good kind hearted people offering top quality you can afford and they go above and beyond to ensure you are happy. That to me is worth everything. Here is the listing of my favorite products from Pastry Portal! Please visit them at Pastry Portal and find your new favorites!

There are times when cake, to me, is just an outlet. There may be a picture in my head that needs to be brought to life. There may also be some healing that I need to do and art is a known therapy. This cake was pure therapy. It began with a painting in a local Thai restaurant which I found very beautiful. I took several photos and began to stew and simmer this idea in my head. No idea where I wanted to go with it or what it would end up being but it sat in my mind like a shadow and there were other shadows there as well. In my family there has been a lot of loss. Relationships that never were what I wished they would be. Family that I loved dearly but who seemed haunted and plagued by fear, anger, resentment. They didn’t seem to ever truly shake it. They battled between their love of God and desire to do his will and old bitter habits which, like beasts or demons, chained them down and trapped them in a never ending spiral that just couldn’t quite reach to God’s loving kindness or let them forgive themselves. My father is gone, my grandfather passed over 20 years ago, my grandmother passed 3 years ago and my mother passed 3 years ago. When I made this cake and went through this process less than a year ago my uncle, who was the last living relative that I had grown up with, lay dying and refusing to give up the demons which devoured his heart and led to habits which ultimately killed his body. I was angry, sad, lost, empty, furious. I have watched and loved these people who helped raise me one by one leave this earth. Watched them be unable to let go of all the negative which destroyed everything that our family could and should have been. Despite this they wanted so badly to love God and reach Him. In my mind I see them with arms outstretched, faces lifted, seeing the light of the spirit but unable to escape. Being caught in a spiral, ravaged by a beast. All within their own minds. As my uncle grew closer to death I went to a dark place inside myself and raged at the unfairness and helplessness- I cried and I tossed and turned at night. Then I vowed to never ever ever let myself forget hope, joy, beauty, the perfection of the simple moment that resonates through my heart when God whispers to me in the smile of my child, or in the scent of the earth in the evening after a rain in the moonlight with a soft Florida breeze blowing against my face. or the feeling I get when I give someone a cake and their eyes light up like a little child on Christmas morning. I vowed to never ever give up, never give in, never be chained by despair. Then I made this cake- just for myself- and much of that pain was gone.